Malanginspirasi.com –Universitas Brawijaya (UB) held a Casual Talk (Bincang dan Obrolan Santai or BONSAI) event regarding the 2026 new student admissions at the Rectorate Building on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.
Rosihan Asmara, Director of Academic Administration and Services, stated that there are three main admission groups:
Two of these are national selections: SNBP (Achievement Pathway) and SNBT (Written Test). The third pathway is the UB Independent Selection (SMUB), which is divided into four categories:
- SMUB Report Card/Achievement
- SMUB UTBK (Computer-Based Written Test)
- SMPD (Independent Selection for Persons with Disabilities)
- SMPV (Independent Selection for Vocational Programs)
Rosihan added that the admissions for the International Undergraduate Program (IUP) have already begun and will be followed by the national selections, SNBP and SNBT.
“The selection for international students via the IUP has started, followed by the national selections SNBP and SNBT, and finally, the independent selection,” he explained.
High Appreciation for High-Achieving Candidates
He emphasized that UB continues to give high appreciation to prospective students with outstanding achievements, especially through the independent selection pathway.
Non-academic achievements such as being a hafiz Al-Qur’an (someone who has memorized the Qur’an), international sports champions, and English debate competition winners will receive added value.
“UB highly appreciates prospective students who have achievements. For the hafiz Al-Qur’an, the evaluation is equivalent to an international-level achievement. So, it is highly recommended to register because the appreciation is high,” Rosihan stated.
UB is also starting to consider the Academic Competence Test (TKA) scores as an additional component in future selections.
Although public universities with legal-entity status (PTNBH) are allowed to accept up to 50% of new students through independent routes, UB chooses not to maximize this quota.
“The maximum for independent selection is 50 percent. But we will not take that many because we want students who are truly high-achieving,” he said.
Instead, UB plans to allocate a larger share to the national SNBP and SNBT routes once the national policy is finalised, giving high-achieving students wider access.
“The proportion for SNBP and SNBT is likely to be increased, but we are still awaiting the national decision,” he added.
Unlimited Quota for Students with Disabilities
Meanwhile, the Secretary of UB’s Directorate of Administration and Academic Services, Arif Hidayat, explained that the independent pathway for persons with disabilities (SMPD) does not have a quota limit like the other pathways.
“We can accept as many qualified applicants with disabilities as possible because this pathway is not counted in the 50% limit,” he said.
So far, the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences is the most popular choice among disability applicants.
UB is launching two new undergraduate programmes:
- Bioinformatics (Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences)
- Smart Livestock Industry (Faculty of Animal Science)
Tightens SNBT 2026 Security
To prevent cheating, UB has introduced a completely new examination system for the 2026 UTBK.
“Every computer can only be booted using a special flash drive directly connected to UB’s central server. The computer’s hard disk is disabled, making it impossible to install any unauthorised software,” Arif explained.
Remote access vulnerabilities that existed in previous years have also been eliminated. With 1,600 PCs currently being prepared and a maximum of 200 PCs per server, UB aims for a completely secure, injection-free UTBK in 2026.
The total intake quota for new students in 2026 remains approximately 17,000, the same as the previous year.
Universitas Brawijaya continues to prioritise merit, inclusivity, and integrity in its admission process while expanding opportunities for talented and diverse applicants.
